The problem of preventing self-oscillation and securing a sufficient margin to such an instability in repeaters is well-known to those skilled in the art. Normally, in order to solve this problem, the input or output signal level (or power level) is monitored during operation of the repeater.
One way, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,528 (Leslie), is to continuously measure the average output power of the repeater and to determine whether this power level exceeds a predetermined threshold value, in which case the amplifier gain of the repeater is drastically reduced so as to restore a stable state of operation.
Another way, which is especially useful in GSM systems operating with time slots, see WO 97/33381 (Allgon), is to measure the time proportion during which the power level of an input signal exceeds a certain threshold value, whereupon the amplifier gain is reduced in case this time proportion is relatively large, such as 90% or even larger. This method may be combined with a test whether the difference between the maximum and minimum values of the input signal level is less than a given value.
However, in both these known methods, it is necessary to adjust the gain rather drastically in response to a detected rise of the signal level. Basically, this is because the criteria being used are met only when a state of instability is reached. Thus, in the known systems, it is not possible to determine the stability margin as such. Therefore, it is difficult to provide a smooth control of the amplifier gain of the repeater.